Computers and other electronic technologies have been used in automation and process control since the 1950's. By the 1990's Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC's), robots, machine vision, personal computers (PC's), Computer Numerical Control machines (CNC), and other computer-controlled machines have become an integral element of manufacturing. The complexity of applications in today's manufacturing requires sophisticated controllers and programs.
Additional demands on flexible and easy-to-use software make the task of programming too difficult to be handled by traditional programming and process control methods. Several attempts (mainly in robotics and machine vision) have been made to solve this issue. However, all these attempts have some limitations--mainly because they do not provide means for creating a control for general processes (in cases using such products known as AIM.TM., disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,835,730--manufactured by Adept Technology, and Image Analyst.TM., manufactured by Acquity Inc.) and/or they insist on using a tree-like logical structure with a root (e.g., when using the AIM product), and/or they must generate a new software code to create desired links and evaluation logic (in cases using a product such as PARADYM-31.TM., manufactured by WIZDOM Controls, Inc.), and/or thev insist on using certain databases with predefined fields and certain control logic (e.g., the AIM product). One restriction of conventional AIM products is their reliance on predefined databases even while attempting to solve the historical lack of flexibility in process control programs. In addition, AIM products cannot operate without specific databases.